Memory Sharicus - Oh No, not again!

[heromedal]

About 8 am on July 15th, Rex does something stupid in his usual genius way. It was meant to be a small, simple test run of a method to scan a person and instantly gain all the data he needed to produce a Phantom.

The small field the spell was meant to spread just kept growing, until popping like a bubble with the most counterintuitive sound of all- two seconds of white noise, sounding as if it was coming from inches away. Not everyone heard it. But everyone who did...

It's a painless process, almost ticklish and instantaneous as numerous coloured orbs fly out from their chest, taking wild curving trajectories that launch them all over the academy and some of Soleil, coming to a sudden stop and hovering silently for just a few seconds.

That's when they start to slowly float towards the nearest possible recipient of the memory they contain, accelerating as they get closer as if thought and mind have a unique sort of magnetism.

It's sort of beautiful to see, really, not that Rex will notice because 60% of his mind is consumed with fear he will get into trouble and the Phantom project will be compromised. On the other hand, the Phantom project could provide the perfect scapegoat. So about six hours after the initial event, he released his latest creation- the Phantom mischief-maker, Waggery!

What a disaster.

(( ooc: The planning post is here! Be careful to warn for the nastier memories! If you already have memories planned to share, feel free to write them as a top level or just put up your character and link to the planning/make it a free for all. There'll be a post below for Waggery shenanigans and random NPC memories up for grabs. ))

Comments

Rex Memories

[heromedal]

(( Go ahead and ask for any colour/emotion yet uncoloured or a specific thing you'd want and I'll write a memory just for you! You can find his memory planning here and be warned for child abuse/neglect, murder, mayhem and depression possible in almost all memories post his mother's death. ))

[rwbyrose]

[ gold! ]

[heromedal]

[ It's a beautiful, warm day in a wood that can only be called enchanted- quite literally, as some of the bizarre glowing plants and birds singing much more musically than any earthly ones prove.

His butt is a bit sore as he sits on a toppled tree, looking out over a vast, rose pink lake. But he sits as still as he can, eyes focused on the fishing float sitting on the surface. It's a few minutes more, soaking in the warmth and scenery that little Rex's patience is taxed a bit and he turns his head to follow the line, up to the top of the incredibly thick and lengthy fishing rod and down to the woman holding it in one hand. She's gorgeous, hair a dusty gold and her bright blue eyes- scratch that, eye. She turns to look down at her son, and the entire left side of her body is scarred as if burnt horribly years ago, her left eye closed and that side's arm is missing from just below the shoulder. There's no surprise in the memory of course- that's always what mommy has looked like, and she's the most beautiful woman in the world. That's a fact. She can't raise a finger to her lips while holding the rod but makes a playful 'sssh' anyway, jerking her head at the water. The question that had been building (how much longer, what is it was they were catching, will it taste good, more, others, the entire memory is filled with questions he's been sitting on because mommy asked him to be quiet and enjoy the surprise and he just wants to make mommy happy).

It's a few minutes more of being a good boy before he almost speaks again, but then the floater bobs. Once. Twice. Thrice and-

The force mommy pulls the rod with makes a boom and she stands, whipping with her entire body, the surface of the lake swelling with the sheer size of what's coming out. The sun is blotted out by the absolutely monumental fish (even as a child, Rex does the quick math and estimates it's ten metres long) and water sprays in all directions. Rex doesn't have a second of fear at the sight. It's all delight, even when it starts to come down, looking ready to crash on top of them.

Because mommy catches it, whipping the rod around so the thin, yet impossibly strong, line binds it up. Leaving the fish hanging from the end of the rod like the handkerchief on a bindle. ]

There, Rexxy. Aren't you glad you stayed quiet? [ She says with a voice that is obviously joyful of his happiness. He is glad. ] This fatty should have left the lake years ago. Naughty fish, right?

[ Like it weighs nothing, she swings the fish right in front of Rex, and a little finger pokes it, and he repeats- 'Naughty fish.' ]

[rwbyrose]

[ ruby watches the scene unfold in front of her. the scenery is beautiful, and when she sees the woman and her interactions, ruby can only assume that this is someone very special.

and...they're fishing! it's a wonderful surprise. ruby's never gone fishing before, so to see it happening in real time is quite incredible. she wants to clap when the giant fish comes out of the water, because it's amazing, but her body is frozen stiff, unfortunately.

it's not until the woman calls out to her -- rexxy -- when she realizes that it's no one other than her new friend. ]

Rex...!

[transfusionem]

[Go for the gold!]

[heromedal]

[ There's a light pressure around at the sides of his chest, just under the armpits. He doesn't think anything of it, of course, it's fine. He's instead listening to the music and keeping his eyes ahead, at the full-length mirror that spans the dance studio wall. He's far back enough he can see both himself and mommy. He's floating in the mirror, held aloft by that strange pressure.

He does everything he can to mirror mommy's movements, but she's just so graceful! And she'd thought the old costume from when she was in Swan Lake wouldn't fit, but she looks magnificent in it! He bets all those ladies doing it with two arms and both their legs working properly still couldn't do it half as good! The look on her face agrees with that assessment. Or the half of it that can express anything (the other half a burnt mess which is fine, that's just what mommy looks like) anyway. As he gets closer, her one arm dips down and suddenly he rises up. He would do- she's just picked up the vampire that's holding him, hence why he looks to be flying in the mirror. ]

Helen! There are no lifts in this paaaaaart! [ The warm voice sounds very Eastern European. Rex looks down, the hugely burly bearded man settled on the tiny woman's palm, Rex held far aloft. She replies- ] There aren't any big hairy lumberjacks in it either. Or puppies.

[ Rex giggles. He can't help it. He couldn't ever get tired of the dog jokes. It'd be impossible. Just like improving this moment. ]

[transfusionem]

[Oh. That was sweet.

Adelaide blinks as the memory fades, before looking over at Rex. He's not that far from her - kind of hard not to be, with all of this going on. She hesitates for a moment, before-]

You were a cute puppy.

[spelleton]

[ BLACK FOR BLACK HERE WE GO ]

Warning for implied death and generally grim times.

[heromedal]

[ It's the worst, it's the worst, it's the very worst, the world is melting and twisted and there are things appearing at the corner of his vision, but are they in his head or are they're the actual things which have- which are- which shouldn't-

It's just the worst. The mobile home that has always been like a fortress until now feels like a tomb. The top has been torn off, and everyone has moved there after the first few days. It feels wrong having so many people in their home, Rexxy thinks as he looks at the lot of them, cowering. Not a single one had the nerve even to take a shift on lookout so mommy could at least lie down, he doesn't know the name of the feeling he's feeling for the very first time but it's hate, which is followed by another new and terrible sense of shame, because it's hardly their fault. Worst of all is that now the sun has slipped past the limits of the ravine's lip again and the dark has returned, which never scared him before, he can't hold mommy's hand. She needs it to hold onto her sword, which at this point she's leaning on like a crutch. There's something incredibly scary about that. She always stood so proudly, no matter how badly things were (she tried to hide those days when her injuries were draining on her and he pretended to fall for it because like she always said "pain was something in your heart, not your body," and he didn't want her to know the pain that he'd ever seen her weakness).

He does his best to focus on the music in the little player she gave him, as she told him, and stay awake but it's been ten days and his body feels like it's about to crack like an egg and he can't think right. Whitesnake's 'Here I go Again' ends just as he hears mommy call for him.

There she is, looking the worst he's ever seen her. A mysterious black fluid is leaking from her burnt eye, drooling from the left side of her mouth. Standing at the front of the mobile home, what staring into the dark. He stands beside her, on the left side to be out of the way of her sword if she needs to swing the six-foot, golden coloured masterpiece of a weapon currently propping her up. ]

My old record for bad days... was nine. [ She has to pause to take a breath even from just talking, turning her head to spit more of whatever that dark liquid is (is it blood? he hopes not because even as a child knows bleeding inside is bad, but what if it's something worse?) to the side. ] So I have just lost the last shred of patience I got.

[ The memory is a little fuzzy on what the other people start to yammer about, all demanding something like dogs begging for scraps. It doesn't matter what they want. She's not paying attention to them, and neither is he. He understands what she's going to say and wants to be sick but hasn't eaten in the last few days. He barely registers the sounds of Vera Lynn starting to sing the unforgivably incorrect 'We'll Meet Again.' ]

I wait one day more, I'll lose. I'll fail to keep you safe. [ Even now, Helen sounds angrier than she does sad at that. He knows her and loves her so much he can practically read her thoughts. How dare anything, from the depths of the underworld or the tops of the heavens, inconvenience her like this? She doesn't lose. Her pride can't take any more of this marathon, much less her body. ] I'm going to kill them, but... I can't fight and protect at the same. Not now. So... you've got to run.

[ Rex feels heat in his guts. The hate again, at those people now entering panic behind him. One tries to pull Rex back, so they have Helen's undivided attention. The sight of him losing his teeth to her fist makes the rest back off. Her gaze not even turning. She's still Helen Arany, the infallible still.

She doesn't go gently lower to a knee but lets herself fall so she and Rex can share their very last embrace. Her voice is hoarse, tears and the black liquid falling in equal measure onto Rex's shoulders. ] I only needed two people in my life, and you're the only one I ever got. It was more than enough.

[ He tries to speak but gets a hand on his head-turning him around towards the darkness where red yes start to appear. They know it's time as much as she does.

Ekehardt is spared, at least, seeing what follows. ]

[spelleton]

[ He takes time to sit, and process the memory.

It explains a great deal of why Rex is the way he is, and where Helen is now. He doubts, very much, that she was ever really buried. She doesn't seem the type to be a restless spirit, bound by undone business; it was one of the things that was both a strength and a weakness for her, in the end.

He's certain that she died proud and unafraid, fighting to the end. Fulfilling what she made herself to be. It's hard to fault a death like that.

But the burden of such a memory falls to the living to carry. It's a harsh one, certainly.

He finds Rex on a rooftop, some time later. He doesn't speak at first; he's considering, deeply, what to say.

Then he just sits. ]

Something on your mind, Rex?

[caduceusoncall]

[Give me something that will make her respect him for more than his intelligence and/or question his motives, whichever sounds more fun to you!!]

[heromedal]

[ The memory is grey because though, Rex looks back at almost every good memory later and justifies his actions as somehow self-serving. This one is one of the few he cannot but still refuses to be proud of.

It's sweltering hot and everyone around him is speaking frantic Spanish. Why wouldn't they be? He's in Mexico and, as he thinks to himself while looking at a burning building, here to do to a job. Not get involved in this sort of thing. It really has nothing to do with him.

He turns away from the fire and the people crying for help behind him, getting about halfway down the street before he realises he's gotten to the exact right distance to accelerate for a running jump through the ground floor window, which is where he stops, turns on his heels and lowers down, like a sprinter.

"I'm a fucking idiot", he thinks to himself as he starts to sprint, leaps in a jump that thrusts a foot forward and covers his face, kicking the window in perfectly. It's probably a little disorientating to someone seeing things through Rex's perception to see the way he visualises numbers approximating temperature, the size of objects, the distances between them, the oxygen content, but he's thinking about all of it as he does the job of a firefighting team solo and clears out the building, taking three trips. Every four seconds he thinks about how pointless this is and how he should stop now.

When he's done and the amassed people try to thank him he storms off in a huff, telling them not to rely on a 15-year-old in the future. He has his hands in his pockets to hide the fact they're badly burnt which is going to make his job harder.

What an idiot. ]

[caduceusoncall]

[She's standing, once again, possibly for the third or fourth time today, in the hallway like an idiot. Her pen and clipboard have already hit the floor, having slid out of her grasp when she froze. She shakes herself off and begins to gather her things, but her mind is elsewhere.

This memory causes conflicted feelings for Angela. On the one hand, it's a good deed, done for the sake of doing good. On the other hand, the sheer disdain for the act that the memory's owner seems to feel is...concerning?

Not to mention the calculations, the sheer brilliance behind the ability to visualize and act on it all in such a short span of time. It's impressive, although she wonders who here at Daybreak possesses that particular skill. She wants to talk to them.]

[infestedcouncilpresident]

Give me something that’ll make her reconsider writing Rex off as an asshole

Warning for starvation.

[heromedal]

[ It's dark and cold, and Rex is hungry. More than hungry, he's absolutely starving. His stomach has a horrid, empty feeling and a searing sensation that sticks around. Like his abdomen has been caved in. It, however, feels familiar, as if this is the default state of being and has been for some time. He's so hungry that the big bag of dry dogfood he's carrying makes his mouth water and it's difficult to stop himself from popping it open and eating until it's empty.

Instead, he continues down the pathway of a park, almost completely silent save for the occasional sound of wildlife. There's one, in particular, he's keeping an ear out for, and he deviates from the path to find it. The pack of strays are assaulting a sealed up wheelie bin without success, the entire group scampering away from it when their senses detect Rex. A few bark or growl, but most back off- clearly they don't know him.

It doesn't stop him from tearing the top of the bag off and dumping the whole lot on the ground, before spinning on a heel and walking away. The entire time, there and away, he's cursing himself and telling himself what a worthless piece of shit he is for wasting good money on that, trying to budget for himself in his head and hating himself a little bit more each time he inserts another bag into the calculations- but doesn't remove it. The memory fades as he glances back at the feasting dogs and, without a hint of satisfaction, asks himself "If I don't do it, who will?" ]

[infestedcouncilpresident]

What the fuck?

[She actually said that out loud. That arrogant, socially inept scarecrow with more height than common sense showing such selfless compassion for a bunch of stray dogs? How dare he make her question her own assumptions about him!

Kohaku sat down for a moment, still reeling from it. The echoes of that terrible hunger still made her actual stomach growl. Should she get something to eat? Should she say something to Rex? God talking to him was so awkward though. She had to do SOMETHING about it, though.]

[nor_iron_bars]

[Hmm... how about a yellow memory? Up to you what it is.]

[heromedal]

[ It's a nice day, not that Rex thinks of it like that. He just thinks about how irritating it is to have the sun in his eyes while he's staking out a fancy hotel from the park in front of it. He's internally complaining about everything most people enjoy- the warmth, the breeze, the sights and sounds of people playing while he's just trying to get a handle on his target's routine. At least it has given him time to read the book on microbiology he's gotten from the local library. It's day four of his stakeout. ]

Hey.

[ He, of course, made a note of the two girls on their approach and made his usual quick analysis (my age 15-16, 5'4-5'6, no obvious weaponry, unaggressive stance, likely to walk past, minimal attention required) but hadn't expected either to talk to him. Lost in confusion, he stares for a while before giving a 'hey' back, his of the tone of 'can I help you?' more than anything else. ]

I've been watching you- [ She gets that far and terror replaces all thought and feeling. He takes a quick mental check of all his offensive options and tries to think if he recognises them, how they know who he is and what he wants, who they work for- ] Do you go to Regis High or...?

[ The fear remains as he forces him to go through a short conversation explaining he's not from around here and won't be here long, trying to see what the trap is. It's all scrutinised deeply, keeping his poker face aligned and being an exact mix of polite but uninterested in the hopes they go away- which they eventually do.

To Rex, it was sheer horror and he changed his location and scouting method for this job to prevent it from happening again. In retrospect, to Jail at least, it's probably pretty clear one of the girls was trying to ask him out and the other was there for moral support. ]

[nor_iron_bars]

[Just... total silence, followed by a very faint slapping noise, as Jail quietly facepalms.]

At least she brought a friend...

[descolation]

[I PICK BLACK, LET'S FUCKIN' GOOOOOOO]

Warning for child abuse/neglect and ableism

[heromedal]

[ The smell of the orphanage is not the worst part, but it is the thing which strikes him first. He'd been nearly catatonic during the processing, not wanting to think or remember the ten dreadful days in the dark.

When the door opened and the disinterested social worker nudge him through, it all comes back at once- because the orphanage, where he'd been told he'd be safe and cared for, had the same disturbing stench of death and humans crammed together without proper hygiene. It isn't possible for anywhere good to smell like that. He tries to bolt, but a strong hand grabs him by the upper arm and tells him to stop wasting time. Ushered along painfully, arm pulled too high and body tipped to the side, the woman at the front desk asks if he's 'one of the retards', concerned because he looks like a pain to strap down. That sends a new bolt of fear through Rex, who until now has known only freedom and love and concern. Picking up on his fear, the one yanking him around says he's not, but if he doesn't stop squirming he'll beat Rex's head in until he is.

The unfathomable depths of his situation suddenly become completely clear. He is absolutely alone, and no one is ever going to take care of him again. He can't rely on anyone, but himself from now on. And he's too weak and stupid to do that. So he's stuck. ]

[heartofasamurai]

[Green please!]

[heromedal]

[ Its taken a lot of effort. His hands are covered in bandages, some red spots on them. There are aches and pains throbbing all over. Each time he moves he feels the twin crescents on both sides of his torso where his entire body had been between a giant pair of jaws, but the comforting weight of an envelope full of cash in his coat pocket makes it feel worth it, even if every step down the street stings.

But when you see her, it's all worth it. Some greasy Russian is leaning on her, tapping his foot impatiently as Rex hides his limp. The man is impatient and snatches the envelope, counts the contents twice and then finally hands over the thing that will change Rex's life forever.

The keys to her, the brand new van. Tinted windows, extra-long, battleship grey. Stolen, of course, but that's the only way Rex could ever afford a new vehicle. He opens the back before the cab and steps inside. It's a tiny space and he thinks about how he'll keep growing- it's too much to hope he's done at 14. But all the same, a warm sensation slowly spreads into Rex as he sits in the middle of the van's empty space.

His space. He can have a place to keep things. To have shelter in. To not get kicked out of. Rex's astounding ability to visualise comes to life and items fade into and out of view as he contemplates the possibilities.

It's the first time in years he feels like he's stepped forward. ]

[unpocoloco]

[Give me some What The Fuck Happened good shit with Ekke the babysitter, now that I've seen that addition.]

[heromedal]

[ Rex is probably a little old for a proper game of peek-a-boo by most people's standards, but it's an entirely new game to him- the reason for this is clear, to an outside observer. The woman playing it with him only has hand enough to cover one half of her face, which is a little unfair because she only has half a face as it is. She is, of course, the most beautiful woman in the world anyway. One perfect, mighty hand covers the right side of her face, hiding away the grey-blue eye and leaving the disfigured burns on the left.

Just a little out of synch, someone else's hand covers that twisted mess Rex loves so much. That's Eggheart, who sometimes takes care of Rex when mommy is doing something too dangerous for little boys to come and do with her. He's squatting a little to be level with mommy, who is the correct height and everyone else is too tall, reaching around the small stump of an arm she has.

Rex is old enough to know that she's back there, but it's so silly he laughs anyway. She seems the most excited of the three of them and the way she vibrates in anticipation infects Rex. Ekkehardt, who looks exactly the same as he does today but for the wardrobe, uses his spare hand to cover his mouth as to not laugh at the sight of the indomitable warrior having such fun. She mutters 'where's mommy?' a few times before- ]

Peek-a-boo!

[ Both hands fly off at the same time, and there's silence for a few seconds.

Then all three burst into uproarious laughter. Helen pumps her one arm in success as if she just scored a goal or won a fight. ]

I told you Rexxy wasn't too old for this! [ Ekke, in his customary dry manner, informs her- ] Yes, and evidently neither are you.